Internationale groepsreis High Peaks of Bulgaria

Bulgarian National Parks

One of the best weeks walking in mountains we have experienced. The scenery was breathtaking. The people were extremely friendly. The walking was challenging and very rewarding. We will remember the summit days of Mount Vihren, Mount Malyovitsa and Mount Musala for a long time.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The summit days of Mount Vihren, Mount Malyovitsa and Mount Musala were exceptional walking days. They were challenging but very rewarding.

What did you think of your group leader?

Vladimir was an excellent group leader. He had a comprehensive knowledge of the mountains and was clearly very proud of his country.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Make sure you train for day after day of hill walking for this trip and that you have a high level of fitness for this holiday. We walk regularly walk in the Lakeland fells and we found the walking challenging, especially the summit days.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

It would be really good if Exodus did a follow up week of other Bulgarian mountains and ridge walks. The mountain scenery is breathtaking and we would like to experience more of it.

Bulgarian National Parks

Great walking with a great group of people.Vlademir lead the group very well, keeping everyone involved. His extensive knowledge of local sights & customs kept us all informed throughout the holiday. Loved the traditional Bulgarian hotels. The movement from place to place was well organised & Vlademir ensured we kept to a tight schedule. We were also blessed with great weather apart from a couple of hours on the seven lakes walk when we were bombarded with hail & thunder.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Reaching the mountain summits Vihren & Musalla.

What did you think of your group leader?

Excellent . Could not have been better.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Make sure you are fit enough before booking this holiday. My fellow group members were all walking enthusiasts so this kept us all together.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Superb holiday. Magical scenery.

Bulgarian National Parks

I have been on plenty of holidays like this one and this was one of the best. I was on the same trip as Beth and Penny who have also posted reviews and I echo what they have said. We were blessed with good weather, a group that worked well together and an excellent leader.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

This is a trip with plenty of highlights.

What did you think of your group leader?

Valdimir has quiet, calm, professionalism about him and that makes him one of the best leaders I have come across. Taking a group of 16 people with ages ranging from mid-20's to mid-60's into the mountains can be tricky. He set a pace which kept us moving but equally kept us together as a single group.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Be well prepared! The trip is marked as grade 5, Challenging and that is a fair grading. Each day had separate challenges, and mountain weather can be variable at the best of times. Make sure you take plenty of food up the mountain as there are some long days when it's necessary to keep the energy levels up. Always carry extra clothing and waterproofs.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Having read the review posted in July 2013 which comments about the lack of time in Sofia, I arranged to stay in Sofia an extra night and fly home independently (with easyJet) the next day. As well as saving myself a 4am alarm call it meant I was able join a Walking Tour of the city. This was a great way to see and find out about the city.

Fantastic hiking

This was an excellent Exodus trip. Each hike was beautiful and challenging. It was interesting to hike two different mountain ranges; though unique, they both had stunning scenery and good trails. The Bulgarian food was good, and Vladimir our leader was superb. If you’re reasonably fit and love to hike, you can’t go wrong with this choice. This was our 4th Exodus trip and we had a wonderful time.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Wednesday was the toughest day, 22km with 1400m elevation gain. It was long and steady - totally manageable. Getting to the high point of the ridge that day after almost 4 hours of ascent was very rewarding. And it was awesomely beautiful.

What did you think of your group leader?

Vladimir was the best leader we've ever had. He was fun, knowledgeable, caring and organized. He managed the group so well, keeping the perfect pace for everyone.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

We had participants from the ages of mid-20s to mid-60s. Everyone was fit and all were fine with the challenge. The trip was great because no one was falling behind. Be ready for a challenging week.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Bulgaria is a beautiful country and this trip was fantastic.

Bulgarian National Parks

A weeks hard core walking in the beautiful Bulgarian mountains, bagging peaks and soaking up amazing views.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

This week was full of highlights and it would be crazy to try to single out only one. Every peak conquered was a huge achievement and every view spectacular!

What did you think of your group leader?

Over the years of Exodus travel we always expect the leaders to be exceptional and Vladimir is up there with the best. He loves his country and is knowledgable and keen to share all aspects of it with the group. He was very patient, never stressed or anxious and always happy to 'go the extra mile' with any request or problem. A really nice guy he has a story about every lake and mountain top, almost every one involved a beautiful girl from Bansko!

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

This is not a walk in the park! Make sure you are really fit. The days are long and the walks are usually steady steep climbs, some scrambling, boulder bouncing and some narrow edges. And of course what goes up must come down, so if you've got dodgy knees......! But it is all doable and the rewards are there, fabulous views and a huge sense of achievement!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

As usual in the mountains, be prepared for hot and cold and wet, you will need the full range of kit, waterproofs, hat and gloves, sun cream, etc. It's a fabulous holiday, go for it!

BULGARIAN NATIONAL PARKS

It has been three years since my last Exodus trip and this one reminded me of what I had missed. Great accomodation, lots of quality chunky walks, pleasant group and outstanding leader. Able to relax in evenings. Holiday as well as a challenge. Met friendly people everywhere.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Enjoyed the penultimate walk especially winding up through several lakes over snow to peak. Surprised by good quality of hotels. Also managed to see the final set of Wimbledon after walk(avoiding the stress of the first two sets!) in hotel restaurant. The Bulgarians were accomodating of our enthusiasm.

What did you think of your group leader?

Competent,organised ,charismatic and likeable. Introduced us to Bulgarian culture in imaginative way. Won`t spoil it for others by telling his stories!

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

I was anticipating searing hot temperatures but the mountain walks were reasonably cool(some snow about) which was a blessing for ascent. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Only reservation was missing a quick tour of Sofia at the end due to half the group being on early flight. The final hotel was upmarket but unfortunately some of us didn`t get to enjoy it as we left 4am.

BULGARIAN NATIONAL PARKS

Great leader. Very tough walking but accomadation great, so would recommend separate gradeing of walking and accomadation.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

5 mountain tops in 7 days!

What did you think of your group leader?

Very good.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Be aware that walking is long days in hot conditions. Accomadation and food great but good level of fitness required.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Enjoy trip with great group. Our leader was brilliant and great fun with good local knowledge. Our driver was allways on time and drove very carefully. Accomadation was good with plenty of nice local food. Local food and drink also resonable priced.

BULGARIAN NATIONAL PARKS

Great views, warm people, some effort required

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Reaching the peaks and the views from them, taking in some of the previous days walks. The ability to relax at the end of the day, in calm surroundings.

What did you think of your group leader?

Vladi was a great leader, who understood the group very well, picking up on the banter and adding to it. Helpful, patient, always on hand; we were well guided and looked after by him.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Thought the climbs were harder than expected, but you got used to them by the end (challenging I guess). Not an issue if you are a mountain goat, or adjust well. Depending on the time of year that you travel, you might find it quite hot, well into the high 30's or even 40's.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Enjoyed the basic food which was so much tastier than in the UK. The mountains, towns, villages, were such a great place to wander around; very relaxing after the days walk, and you forget about work easily. We summited Mt. Musala during the nations public holiday, it was pretty busy; great to see so many people making the effort.

BULGARIAN NATIONAL PARKS

In my experience this holiday is right in the middle of the Challenging grading. The scenary was good without being spectacular but the accommodation and food was excellent. The highlight of the trip was the quality of the Leader. Vladimir was outstanding.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The fifth and most challenging day. Exhausted but very satisfied.

What did you think of your group leader?

Vladimir was professional, knowledgeable and friendly. His English was excellent and he made a good trip great.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Take your swimming costume for the swimming pool at the Hotel in Goverdartsi.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

BULGARIAN NATIONAL PARKS

This was a hard-work holiday, but so worth it. It was far more varied than we'd expected. Each mountain was very different, from bare-rock splendour to a weather and military station with a kiosk serving tea! Blazing sun to hail and thunder, beech woods to alpine meadows and pastures, village hotel with live local music and dancing to sightseeing in the capital city, culture to wildflowers, glacial lakes with romantic legends to ski resorts, weird rock formations to monastery buildings and, best of all, the incredibly varied scenery and views, oh, the views!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Reaching the summit of Mt. Vihren. We felt a huge sense of achievement and terribly proud of ourselves reaching this real top-of-the-world summit with breathtaking views after a steep ascent and a final bare rock 'long exciting scramble' (see Trip Notes). Mind you, 'long exciting scramble' became an in-joke term for serious understatement in our group!

What did you think of your group leader?

Vladimir was superb. He was efficient, knowledgeable, cheerful, professional, encouraging. His obvious experience as a guide, along with him being an excellent psychologist, really helped us to complete all the walks despite being inexperienced mountain walkers. He was accurate and solidly realistic about what we would be facing each day. We felt that if he thought we could do it, we could, but that he would certainly have dissuaded us if he thought we couldn't (but oh so courteously!).

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Use walking poles. Those long ascents and descents are VERY hard on the knees! Although we are keen walkers, we had little mountain experience and were very apprehensive about our trip. We worked hard on our fitness in the gym and were extremely glad that we had. These are long days at a good pace and you can be walking steeply up and still be doing so hours later! We really wished we had had those back-pack hydration systems with drinking tubes. We had regular short drink/snack/rest stops, but it was hot and thirsty walking at times.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Work on your fitness, listen to your group leader's advice and then enjoy a challenging, varied, rewarding and interesting trip.

BULGARIAN NATIONAL PARKS

Well organised with professional and friendly staff, all in all a great trip with amazing scenery.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Reaching the sumit of Mt Vihren.

What did you think of your group leader?

Very professional, helpful, friendly - all round he was excellent.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Depending on the room you get at the hotel in Bansko you might need ear plugs. Most people didn't seem to have this but we were at the back of the hotel and there were dogs barking pretty much all night. Thank goodness I packed mine so it wasn't a problem. One or two of the walks are either long or quite hard so make sure you are fit enough to enjoy them.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

This was a really good trip, the walking was excellent with some challenging bits but that made it all the more satisfiying to do. I would definetly recommend this trip. The scenery was wonderful and the guide very knowledgeable. The Bulgarians were very friendly especially at the hotel in the Rila area. This was the best hotel with some really good traditional home cooking. The hosts there were really friendly and there is a pool, so you might want to take your costume. Also after the longest walk the driver of the bus arrived to pick us up with cold beers! I have never enjoyed a beer so much. I would also like to add that both the guide and the driver were great - very friendly and helpful.  All in all a great trip - do it!

BULGARIAN NATIONAL PARKS

This was a great trip. Excellent walking, a great tour leader and fascinating country. Highly recommended.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The walking was challenging but the views wonderful and it was great to return to a big meal and nice hotel each evening.

What did you think of your group leader?

The tour leader Vladimir was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable about his country, it's history, culture and wildlife. On the last day in Sofia he took time to show us around the city, which was an added bonus.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Providing you are fit enough for the walking this is an excellent trip for people who enjoy a challenging week but want to return to some comfort at night. Bulgaria is a wonderful place and is highly recommended.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

BULGARIAN NATIONAL PARKS

The perfect mountain week with several ascents in different scenaries, all of them unspoilt and a cultural break halfway through the week visiting monasteries, caves and geological features.  Tough but extremely rewarding.  Great weather, food and accommodation!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The last day features the ascent to the tallest peak in the range.  We decided to tackle it scrambling up the ridge as opposed to walking up the path and it was exhilarating.  It was also great to realise how fitter we all had become at the end of the week.

What did you think of your group leader?

The group leader was passionate about her country and keen to explain to us traditions and backgrounds.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

The walks are tough but you do not need to be a mountaineer, you can build up for it by visiting your local gym.  Additionally if you did not feel up to walking to the summit, most walks had points were you could stop for instance by a beautiful mountain lake a few hundred meters below the summit and wait while the rest of the group walked to the top and then down again.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We were really spoilt by both the tour leader and the driver who on a couple of occasions greeted us at the end of our day with fresh beers waiting for us in the minibus! The scenary is totally unspoilt and the villages and little towns where we stayed felt like a step back in time. It just goes to show that sometimes you do not need to travel very far to feel far from home :)

BULGARIAN NATIONAL PARKS

Lovely mountains with beautiful plants and wildlife. The guide and driver went out of their way to be helpful and the hotels were friendly and welcoming. 

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Walking through a mist shrouded forest and then emerging onto a sunny plateau

What did you think of your group leader?

Excellent leader. He gave me a memory stick full of Bulgarian folk music after we discussed listening to local musicians. 

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Amazing panoramas, head earned.

A great week with long days rewarded with amazing vistas and sweeping panoramas.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Reaching the top after a 1400m ascent on a 22km day. Tough, but ooooh so rewarding!

What did you think of your group leader?

Maria was excellent. Well organised, very safety conscious (counting her "ducklings" at regular intervals to make sure all was well) and aware Of the differing speeds and technical ability of the group. All one would wish for in a leader. Possibly would have benefitted from the presence of an assistant. Marshalling 15 people of varying abilities in such harsh terrain seemed a stretch to me.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Make sure you are well prepared and fit. The advertised walking times were always exceeded by at least an hour and a half so prepare for long slow ascents and arguably over hasty descents to compensate for the time "lost."

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The trip summary on the website states six dinners are included (whilst the detailed notes say five) it is in fact five so you will have an extra dinner to pay for if you relied on the summary. Bulgaria however is inexpensive so this whilst irksome ( especially as it has gone unaddressed for several trips) is not a material calamity.

Great walking holiday

This was a great walking holiday in mountains that were not busy or developed in the same way of the alps. There was no technical climbing, but some scrambling and even rocky paths. The days were long, but with bus support we did not have to camp so could shower and relax in the evening.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The final ascent of Vihren was very impressive with a huge limestone summit that looked spectacular in the sun.

What did you think of your group leader?

The group leader was excellent both on and off the mountain.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Whilst all the paths can be walked, the rocks require concentration to not slip over. The days are long particularly the ridge walk which ends with an added forest walk to the nearest road.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Perhaps spend another day in Sofia, as the group flight was very early and I enjoyed the city.